Mugabe welcomes Chinese President Xi in Zimbabwe

Xi, together with his wife Peng Liyuan, was warmly welcomed by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Mugabe’s wife Grace Mugabe and high-ranking officials with a 21-gun salute at the Harare International Airport.

“All I can say is that the Chinese president and President Robert Mugabe are expected to sign various deals today mainly in energy”, he told Anadolu Agency. Wenlian said the team had a discussion with government and initiated bilateral co-operation.

Most of the buildings which make up the well-equipped orphanage were financed by a South African businessman known as Jack Ping, before he and Zimbabwe’s first lady fell out over a mining deal.

Zimbabwe has increasingly relied on China to invest in new infrastructure like roads, power and water plants after the country became a pariah in the West for its alleged abuses of human rights and the electoral process.

Other agreements would see China assisting Zimbabwe to build or refurbish various airports around the country as well as the construction of a pharmaceutical factory in Harare.

“We are in close discussions with your embassy in Beijing so we have special economic zones (SEZ) and we are looking towards the implementation of SEZ”, he said.

Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees – who is also former Zimbabwean ambassador to China – Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, said anyone doubting the significance of President Xi’s visit should have their heads examined. “So this visit gives a guide to Chinese investors that Zimbabwe is a safe and viable investment destination”.

“For instance, we have coal, and if Chinese investors can bring in the equipment, then we may generate power to not only Zimbabwe, but other countries in this region”, Chinamasa added. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said last month that the country’s investment in Africa fell by more than 40 percent in the first half of 2015.

Jinping leaves for Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday for a State visit followed by the two-day sixth Forum on China-Africa Co-operation.

Bongo expressed confidence in China’s economy, saying it will further boost cooperation between China and Africa.”Chinacan trust Africa and our peoples are good friends”.

Xi Jinping’s highly anticipated visit to Zimbabwe is already yielding benefits for the southern African country. Its investments in Africa amounted to $US32.4 billion at the end of 2014, according to London-based BMI Research.

In anticipation of Xi’s visit, expectations for Chinese investment in Zimbabwe have been high. “Key themes for Africa will be Africa’s growing debt to China (and) how China’s domestic stimulus can re-ignite commodity demand to help pay off the loans and industrialisation of the continent”, said Martyn Davies, Managing Director for Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte.

“China is willing to establish three development systems in Africa that promote the processing and manufacturing industry, food security and public health”, said Liu.

Chinese Foreign Direct Investment into Zimbabwe has also jumped from 460 million dollars in 2011 to 601 million dollars in 2013.